1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dispensing package, and more particularly to a package for a stack of discrete, pre-moistened, interleaved sheets and for the pop-up dispensing thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years there has been increased interest in sheets, towelettes or tissues pre-moistened with a volatile component. The composition and purpose of the volatile component has varied widely. Non-limiting examples of such volatile components have included perfume, cleaning compound, wax, insecticide or insect repellent, topical medicaments and cosmetics.
Single, pre-moistened sheets have been individually packaged in moisture impervious foil envelopes or the like to be carried in the purse or pocket. Prior art workers have also taken a number of approaches to the packaging of pre-moistened sheets in bulk. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,575 in the name of W. G. Rockefeller, issued Mar. 10, 1970 teaches a fluid impervious tray located within a cardboard box having a hinged lid. The tray is additionally closed by a flexible sheet of moisture impervious material which is removed and discarded by the consumer. The tray contains a stack of non-interleaved, pre-moistened sheets maintained in a distorted form by a support member of triangular cross section. This distorted condition of the sheets makes them more readily removable one at a time. Once the flexible sheet of moisture impervious material has been removed from the tray, the hinged lid of the cardboard box will serve to retard evaporation of the volatile material with which the sheets in the tray have been moistened.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,395 in the name of K. W. Duhy, issued Apr. 10, 1973, teaches a stack of liquid saturated disposable towels located within a tray having a foil-backed paper cover sealed to the upper edge thereof. An additional removable and replaceable lid is located beneath the cover for use when the cover has been removed and discarded. Another container for a non-interleaved stack of pre-moistened towelettes is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,043, in the name of T. S. Harrison, issued June 25, 1974. In accordance with this patent, a tray is provided for the pre-moistened towelettes having a removable cover. The cover has a large dispensing opening covered by a flexible, re-sealable closure flap. In yet another approach taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,566, in the name of R. G. Ross, issued July 8, 1975, a stack of pre-moistened wipers are located in a tray having a foil seal at the top and a hinged closure. The hinged closure may be opened and a part of the foil seal removed for access to the wipers. The hinged cover will thereafter be used to retard evaporation of the material with which the wipers are saturated.
Prior art workers have also employed packages having dispensing openings provided with plug-type closure means. Examples of such packages are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,055 in the name of J. R. Anderson, issued June 8, 1974 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,703, in the name of D. P. Dutcher, issued Jan. 28, 1975. U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,056 in the name of H. Spruyt, issued Jan. 8, 1974, teaches a moisture-impermeable package of non-interleaved, pre-moistened wipers provided with a lid having a dispensing slit therein, normally closed, but openable by distortion of the package for removal of a wiper.
Packages have also been developed wherein pre-moistened sheets are provided in the form of continuous webs with transverse lines of perforation defining each sheet. The continuous webs may be in the form of a stack or a roll. Such an arrangement is generally utilized when it is desired to dispense the sheets with a "pop-up" action (i.e. when a sheet is removed from the package, the next suceeding sheet will extend part way through the dispensing opening for ready removal).
A typical approach to such a pop-up dispenser is to provide a container having a dispensing orifice in the form of a single slit or two or more intersecting slits. Each sheet must be detached from the next along the transverse line of perforations therebetween once the transverse line of perforations has passed through the slit-type orifice. An exemplary package of this sort is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,296, in the name of T. S. Harrison, issued July 31, 1973. Generally, a package of this sort has a removable lid provided with the dispensing slits. An additional cover for the slits may also be present. It is frequently necessary for the consumer to remove the package lid and start the uppermost sheet through the dispensing slits. U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,017, in the name of T. S. Harrison, issued Oct. 22, 1974 teaches a variation of such a package wherein a triangular dispensing opening is provided having in association therewith an interior flap which substantially or completely closes the dispensing opening. The flap provides tension on the web or a tortuous path for the web so that the individual sheets of the web will tear off properly.
Yet another approach to the pop-up dispensing of pre-moistened sheets is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,908, in the name of W. E. Fitzpatrick, issued Dec. 25, 1973. In accordance with this reference, a moisture impervious container is provided for a stack of interleaved, pre-moistened sheets. The container has a lid providing a substantially moisture-proof seal between the container and the atmosphere. The container further has a barrier overlying the stack of wet sheets with a rather large diamond-shaped restricting orifice.
The present invention is based upon the discovery that if a moisture-proof package of interleaved, pre-moistened sheets is provided with a dispensing opening so dimensioned as to enable twice the cross-sectional area of a pre-moistened sheet (i.e., two pre-moistened sheets in tightly gathered form) to pass therethrough without such undue friction that would cause the sheets to jam, tear or separate before the next succeeding sheet is presented for subsequent removal, the succeeding sheet will not only be presented for subsequent removal, but in the meantime will also serve as a plug for the dispensing opening minimizing evaporation of the volatile composition with which the sheets have been pre-moistened. No additional closure or lid is required to be closed by the consumer to prevent dry-out. The package may be made in various forms. The topmost sheet of the stack may be partially inserted through the dispensing opening during the packaging process, obviating the necessity for the consumer to open the package and start the first sheet through the dispensing opening, running the risk of contaminating the contents, spilling the stack of sheets or disturbing their interleaved condition. The present invention provides a pop-up dispensing package for discrete, pre-moistened sheets which is simple in construction and more convenient in use than prior art dispensing packages.